Deb Thomsen, the Vice President of Coalition Development at National CooperativeRx, has been with the company since its creation. She is responsible for negotiating the best pharmacy benefit management contract and heads the clinical, account management and communication departments. I recently sat down with Deb to discuss the evolution of National CooperativeRx and her seat on the leadership team.
What inspired you to help launch National CooperativeRx?
It was wonderful to be a part of a new business venture and be a leader in that aspect. The size appealed to me as well; coming from large companies that had many administrative layers with long approval processes, I liked the ability to be flexible and make decisions more quickly.
Tell me about your greatest achievement at National CooperativeRx.
I’m very proud of our current team, we employ very high-quality people. Our coalition is perceived well in the marketplace – we are a small, innovative organization and we offer great benefits. A great reputation will attract great people.
What is the most significant change you have seen since the start of National CooperativeRx?
The biggest change I’ve seen is our incredible membership growth and increased staff. We started out with three employees, myself included, and we currently have a team of 16 people. Our expanded staff has allowed us to provide more value to our members.
How would you describe the ideal National CooperativeRx employee?
Someone who is passionate about their work and is curious about every aspect of the industry. I don’t like to micromanage, so definitely someone who’s self-motivated and can understand a situation from multiple perspectives.
What is the biggest challenge facing the pharmacy benefit industry today?
We all know this industry is very complicated. With so many moving pieces, it can be difficult for plan sponsors to keep up with the constant changes. One of my roles here within the Cooperative is to help our members stay ahead of the curve.
Where do you see the Cooperative in the next 15 years?
Our membership and staff will continue to grow and adapt to a changing marketplace. I foresee our current strengths of customer service and clinical management playing a vital role in that growth.
When you’re not busy running a cooperative, what do you enjoy doing?
I love to travel and spend time with my husband, Dale, and our three children, Graham, Tristan, and Genna. I have been doing more hiking and recently took up yoga, so we’ll see how that goes!
